[citation needed] The college was founded in 1889 as Decatur Female Seminary by Presbyterian minister Frank Henry Gaines.

Agnes Scott is considered the first higher education institution in the state of Georgia to receive regional accreditation.

[7][8] The ninth and current president since July 2018 is Leocadia I. Zak, who previously worked as director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).

[10] The Reverend Frank Henry Gaines served as the first President of Agnes Scott, formally known as Decatur Female Seminary School, for 27 years (1896–1923).

American poet Robert Frost was first invited to speak at Agnes Scott in 1935, by English professor Emma May Laney, and he visited the college every winter from 1945 until his death in 1963.

A collection of Robert Frost's poetry and letters can be viewed on the second floor of the McCain Library.

[17] Built in 1891, the Gazebo at Agnes Scott college has served a multitude of purposes throughout the years.

The gazebo has been used as an office, meeting room, meditation chapel, and the Day Student Hut.

Recently Agnes Scott College and the Georgia Tech Research Institute have collaborated on a project that added a LIDAR facility to the observatory.

The DNA came from a blood sample of an ASC alumna who is a direct descendant of the college's namesake.

[23] Agnes Scott has committed to becoming a carbon-neutral institute by the college's 150th anniversary in 2039 and has taken steps such as partnering with the Clean Air Campaign to reduce its impact on the local environment.

[27] The undergraduate core curriculum SUMMIT focuses on leadership development, global learning, and digital literacy.

[28] In 2019, Agnes Scott received the Heiskell Award for Scholars as Drivers of Innovation for its SUMMIT curriculum.

SUMMIT at Agnes Scott is split into six areas of focus:[29] Undergraduate students are able to cross-register in other ARCHE member institutions.

[34] Thus, most students are expected to live in on-campus housing for all four years as an undergraduate at Agnes Scott College.

[41] Agnes Scott is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III which fields six sports teams including basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball.

[citation needed] Complaints by students and alumni about disrespectful production crews and about sexist content in nonetheless rental-income-generating projects such as Road Trip: Beer Pong and Van Wilder: Freshman Year led to a new policy that requires school review of potential projects, responsibility training for crew members and extras, and at least one educational opportunity for students.